


A Few Too Many

by chaos_monkey



Series: Just Relax [1]
Category: Midsomer Murders - All Media Types
Genre: Ben is gay but not out, Drinking, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, John is bi, M/M, Poly John/Sarah, Polyamory, Pre-Slash, not even to himself, reference to canon-typical deaths, suggestion of alcohol abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-07 12:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19209523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaos_monkey/pseuds/chaos_monkey
Summary: Jones is stressed after a difficult case, and not dealing with it too well.





	A Few Too Many

“We didn’t stop them in time,” Jones said, slouching further down in his chair and staring moodily at his shot glass before tossing it back in one go. Again. “We shoulda… I dunno. Done more. Something.”

He was definitely slurring. John kicked himself mentally. He normally watched his sergeant a little closer at times like this, but this case had gotten to him, too, and they’d kept drinking longer than they should have. Sarah had gone up to bed ages ago, and he didn’t even want to know what time it was at this point.

“We caught them as soon as we could,” John answered, getting up to put the whiskey away in the kitchen cupboard. “You know that.”

“Yeah, well. Somehow it’s never soon enough, though, is it, sir. Not for everyone,” Jones said, looking up as John came back to the table and stood beside him. “Not for those kids,” he added, his voice soft, breaking at the end.

John’s heart broke a little along with it at the sorrow in his sergeant’s eyes. “I know,” he said gently, putting a hand on Jones’ shoulder. “Come on. You need sleep.”

Jones didn’t get up, just found John’s hand with his and gripped it tightly. “Why’re we always just… too fucking late.”

He was still looking up, but his eyes were distant, unfocused; and John knew Jones wasn’t even seeing him anymore.

“Come on,” John said again, squeezing Jones’ hand, and this time the sergeant pushed himself unsteadily to his feet. The couch wasn’t far away, and John got him there with a minimal amount of staggering.

Jones collapsed down on his back with a groan, one arm thrown over his eyes, the other pulling John down with him. Perched on the edge of the couch, John sighed and snaked the man’s tie off from around his neck. Jones had loosened it earlier along with the top buttons of his shirt, but had otherwise left it on, and John didn’t particularly feel like letting the sergeant strangle himself in his sleep tonight.

As John pulled the tie away, Jones grabbed his wrist in one hand and turned on his side so he was curled around John’s back. John could feel him trembling. “Wait, sir… don’t go yet, please - I need you, John, I -”

John hushed him gently. “Shh, it’s okay… it’s okay, Ben. I’m here. Just relax… sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning, I promise.”

This wasn’t the first time Ben had gotten the shakes after a rough case, and John just sat with him as he calmed slowly; holding his hand and murmuring softly until the trembling stopped and his breathing evened out.

Ben’s grip slackened as he finally fell asleep, or maybe just passed out, and John reached up to brush the hair back off his forehead with another sigh.

This also wasn’t the first time Ben had talked like that, reached for him like that; but only ever when he was… well, when he’d had a few too many, to put it politely. And John didn’t quite know what to do about it. By the next morning, Ben was always gone and Jones back in his place, hungover as fuck, and he never seemed to remember a thing he’d said or done towards the end of the night.

John had no idea if he really didn’t remember, or if he just pretended not to, and was too afraid to ask or to try and remind him. Too afraid of what he might see in Ben’s - Jones’ - eyes if he did.

John shook his head and levered himself back to his feet, stifling a groan. Now was really not the time to be worrying about it anyway. He was already going to be an absolute wreck come morning as it was.

Upstairs, he tried to climb into bed as quietly as possible, but Sarah heard him anyway.

“You okay?” she mumbled sleepily, turning over and throwing an arm over his chest.

“Not really,” John said quietly. “Jones is on the couch, by the way. Rough case.”

“Mmmh… and?”

John smiled despite himself, stroking her arm. Even when Sarah was barely awake, she could still read him like a book. “And… I think may have gone and fallen for my sergeant,” he said wryly.

“Ahh,” Sarah said, voice slushy with sleep. “Are you going to tell him?” she asked, just as John was thinking she must have dropped off again.

“I honestly don’t know,” he said.

Sarah huffed out a breath of a laugh. “Well,” she said, turning over again and pulling John’s arm around her, “try not to get fired if it goes anywhere.”

John cuddled up to her back, relaxing to the sound of her breathing until sleep finally claimed him, too.

 

**Author's Note:**

> There will eventually be a few more standalone works in this series, with varying content but all based around the general shared theme of 'Ben is a stress-bunny and John helps him relax'. Y'know, just 'cause ;)


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